Great Britain has one of the best combined health and safety records in the world, due in no small part to the Health and Safety at Work Act introduced in 1974.

In 2014, forty years on from this life-changing piece of legislation, Health and Safety Week was launched to celebrate the achievements of UK practitioners and bring back some pride to the industry.

However, there is still room for improvement. Despite fatal injuries being at their lowest in 20 years, occupational health cases are on the rise.

The latest statistics show that 2,535 people died of mesothelioma (asbestos-induced cancer) in 2012 due to past exposure to asbestos, while more than 1.2 million people are suffering from a work-related illness.

Occupational health issues include:

Cancer – from asbestos, silica, shift work, etc

Other asbestos-related illnesses

Respiratory diseases – lung cancer, asthma, emphysema, bronchitis

Noise-induced hearing loss

Musculoskeletal disorders

Work-related skin disease

Stress

Mental health

Hand arm vibration

Following the success of UK Health and Safety Week over the past few years, where the focus was on occupational health and inspiring organisations to spread the message of the importance of acknowledging issues with health in the workplace, Health & Safety Week 2017 will once again celebrate excellence in health and safety.

At the centre of UK Health & Safety Week Safety 2017 is Safety & Health Expo 2017, the largest exhibition in the UK for health and safety professionals. Welcoming over 13,000 visitors to learn, network and discover new products & services. Safety & Health Expo will celebrate talent and diversity in the profession at its SHP Rising Star Awards, and interactive Women in Health & Safety session on the afternoon of 21st June. Get your free ticket to attend here.

To find out how you can get involved in UK Health & Safety Week, click here.